Mail-pouch



No. 6l8,877. Patented Feb. 7, I899. M. HILL.

MAIL POUCH.

(Application filed Mar. 2, 18l-i8.) (No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet].

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N0. Patented Feb. 7, I899.-

M. HILL. MAIL POUCH.

' A uw ion filed Mar. 2, 18985 (No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

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UNITED STATES PATENT FFICE.

MOTTRAM HILL, OF VICKSBURG, MICHIGAN.

MAIL-POUCH.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 618,877, dated February7, 1899.

Application filed March 2, 1898. Serial No.6 72,263. (No model.) I

1'0 aZZ whom it may concern.-

Be it kn own that I, MoTTRAM HILL, a citizen of the United States,residing at Vicksburg, in the county of Kalamazoo, State of Michigan,have invented a new and useful Mail- Pouch, of which the following is aspecification.

This invention has for its object the construction of a cheap anddurable pouch and one of especial convenience of operationto save timeand annoyance to the operator.

A device embodying my invention is shown in the accompanyingdrawings,formi n g a part of this specification, in which- Figure l isan elevation of one side of the pouch, which may be styled the front;Fig. 2, an elevation of the back; Fig. 3, aperspec tive view of themouth of the bag enlarged and partly open; Fig. 4, an enlarged sectionon line-a a in Figs. 1 and 2, looking from a pointabove Figs. 5 and 6,elevations of metal plates through which an angled end of thelocking-bar passes and fully described below;

Fig. 7, the staple-bar attached to the back of the upper end of thepouch in enlarged perspective, and Fig. 8 is an enlarged perspective ofthe lock-bar.

Referring to the parts of the drawings pointed out by numerals, 9 is thepouch proper, and 10 the upper end or mouth thereof. One important andnoticeable feature of this pouch is the comparative narrowness of themouth when closed, caused by the inward folds 11 of the sides, which areclearly shown in Figs. 3 and 4 and by dotted lines 12 and 13 in Figs. 1and 2. This is efiected by doubling the material of the pouch at the topupon itself and between the staple-bar 14 on the front of the pouch andthe lock-bar 15 on the back. The pouch, as here shown, has a heavy stripof leather at the top, (shown at 16,) and to which strip the canvaspouch 9 is attached by rivets 17, as in Figs. 1, 2, and 3. The folds 11are in this strip of leather principally, extending a little way down inthe body; but of course the pouch, both body and top or mouth, may beall of one piece and all of one kind of material.

The mouth of the pouch has a lid 18, which when the pouch .is closedfolds over on the back, as in Fig. 2.

Fig. 3 as when the pouch is open, and it folds This lid 18 is showninovernear the dotted line 19 in said figure. I stated that the folds 11came between the lockbar 15 and the staple-bar 14. They do indirectly,but directly between the material of which themouth of the pouch iscomposed,

for these bars 14 and 15 are on the material of the pouch, as in Figs. 1and 2, and indicated one above the other by dotted lines in Fig. 3. Thestaple-bar 14 is rigidly attached to the lid 18, with its staple 19extending through holes in said lid. The lock-bar 15 is below said lidand has a right-angled projection 20 at oneend, said projection having aT-head 21 at right angles to said bar, as in Fig. 8, and this headedprojection is attached loosely to the pouch in a hole 21 of the leather,so that said bar can be swung from a horizontal angle,

as in Fig. 1, toa vertical angle, as in same figure, (shown by dottedlines,) for the purpose as will appear in the description of theoperation. The'end of the lock-bar 15opposite the end of said bar whichbears the T-headed projection has an elongated slot 22, Fig. 8, and theend of the staple-bar opposite the end bearing the staple is providedwith an elongated slot 23, Fig. 7. These slots are also shown in Figs.1, 2, and 4. To prevent the lock-bar from becoming accidentally detachedfrom the pouch, I provide the pouch with two plates 24 and 25, the plate24 being attached on the inside, as in Fig. 3, and the plate 25 attachedon the outside, as in Fig. 1. plates has an open slot leading from thecenter outward through the edge, as in Figs.1, 3, 5, and 6, at 26 and27. By holding the lockbar at a vertical angle, as in dotted position inFig. 1, the T-head is passed through the elongated slot or hole 21 inthe leather, and then the plates 24 and 25 are placed in posi- Each ofthese tion by passing the slots 26 and 27 over the lock-bar in a mannerto straddle said bar and so that the slots shall be at an angle to eachother,'as indicated in Figs. 1 and 3. In this manner the lock-bar 15 isheld attached to the pouch in an adjustable manner, for the T-headcannotpass out of the slot 21 without removing the plates 24 and 25. Y j

At one side of the pouch, at the top, (left side in Fig. 3,) the pouchis provided with an elongated slot 28, which slot registers with theslot 22 in the lock-bar 15 and with an elongated slot 29 in the back andlike slots 30 I and 31 in the members of the fold 11. Then the bag orpouch is closed as in Fig. 4, these slots 23, 28, 30, and 31 allregister and receive the staple 19 therethrough. The other side of thepouch has like registering slots 32, 33, 34, and 35 to receive theT-head of lockbar 15 therethrough. The slot 23 in bar 15 registers, ofcourse, with the slot- 32 in the pouch.

At 36 is ahandle-strap attached to the lid of the pouch to carry it by,and at 37, attached to the lock-bar 15, is a plate or the like toindicate the destination of the pouch, &c.

In the operation of closing the pouch it is thrown upon a table and themouth pressed together so as to compress the folds 11, as in Fig. 4.Then the lock-bar is swung to the angle shown by dotted lines in Fig. 1,the T- head of the lock-bar and the staple of the staple-bar beingpassed through their respective registering slots, when the lock-bar 15is brought back to its horizontal position, as in Figs. 1 and 4, itsslot 22 being passed onto the staple and a padlock attached to saidstaple, or other means of locking may be employed.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent of the United States, is-

The combination of the pouch having the inward side folds, andregistering slots, the staple-bar, the lock-bar having the T-headedprojection and the plates having the open slots at angles to each otherwhen astride the projection of the lock-bar and attached to the pouch,substantially as set forth.

In testimony of the foregoing I have hereunto set my hand in thepresence of two witnesses.

MOTTRAM IIILL.

WVitn esses:

RUFUS PANE, J. J. CARNEY.

